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Solar Week - Ask a Question » Archives of previous runs of Solar Week » 2009 March 9-13 » Other » pluto debate

pluto debate

Last post 03-12-2009 12:20 PM by Emilia Kilpua. 1 replies.
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  • 03-12-2009 7:57 AM

    pluto debate

    Reply Contact

    Becky S (Fox)

     

    I know about the pluto debate, and its now a minor planet, but since hubble has discovered that pluto has three moons instead of just one, couldn't there be a really good argument about putting pluto back into "full" planet status?
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  • 03-12-2009 12:20 PM In reply to

    • Emilia Kilpua
    • Top 10 Contributor
    • Joined on 03-11-2008
    • University of Helsinki, Finland
    • Posts 61

    Re: pluto debate

    Reply Contact

    Hi Sylvia, 

    The number of moons doesn’t change the new status of Pluto as a dwarf planet. International Astronomical Union (IAU) set the new definition for a planet in 2006 (you can more e.g from http://astroversity.blogspot.com/2007/07/explained-why-pluto-is-not-planet.html). Pluto fails the requirement that a planet “needs to have cleared the neighbourhood of its orbit”. There are many objects about the same size as Pluto in its orbit.  

    Even asteroids are known to have moons. For example few years ago it was discovered that the asteroid 87 Sylvia has two companions, named later Romulus and Remus (see the photo below by the Very Large Telescope!).

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